I do hope this isn't making me sound like a moaning minnie???
When this pain comes, I also know it is time to stop. It means I have been doing too much and a big crash is coming. Now a 'crash' can last anywhere from 3 or 4 days to 3 or 4 weeks, but rarely do I get the luxury of going the full length needed... Life gets in the way! The pain has been with me for more than a week now but still I keep going, rest is not an option. So bogged down with medical appointments, my 40th birthday two weeks ago and just generally having to be here there and everywhere, I am seriously over doing things.
Today, again, another hospital appointment. This is a 50 mile round trip. I live in rural North Yorkshire where nothing is 'on your doorstep' except for perhaps sheep... There is a hospital that is slightly nearer but it's not a very good one, you could go in there to have a splinter removed and you could walk out dead! So I chose one slightly further way because I wanted to, you know, LIVE!
The day didn't get off to a great start, my Mum drives me to appointments and her car had broken down yesterday so the garage had lent her a car. Could she figure out that gear stick? No! Could she heckers like! Running a bit late I realised she had left the blue parking badges in the poorly car, so, 10 mile diversion back to the garage! Totally necessary as the hospital was having building work done and ONLY badge holders could park there. The whole journey was a nightmare of getting behind slow people and cries of "Where the **** is third gear" and "How do I turn these ******* wipers off" But we got there, with about two minutes to spare. We checked in only to be told the Doctor was running about 25 minutes behind, I heard my Mum mutter behind me " ******* typical" She doesn't usually swear that much!!!
It was the Neurologist today, one of my four 'Ologists', she is so lovely, far too sweet to messing about in brains in my opinion! She has an unpronounceable Italian name, so when I check in she is always Dr B. but personally I call her Doctor Bonce-Noggin... But never to her face of course, the brain docs, they're the dogs wotsits aren't they, the cream of the crop, I would never be so disrespectful. I started seeing her because I started with severe headaches about a year ago, my GP was useless and I had to fight hard for a referral. I had an MRI to rule out anything nasty, and as I have ME, so notoriously hard to diagnose, I was tested for MS and other things, just in case the ME had been misdiagnosed (something my GP should have done years ago) All was clear and she diagnosed persistent chronic migraine. A couple of goes with medications, she got the right one and I'm sorted now.
But while I was seeing her she asked me about my health in general and what I thought might help me and SHE, not my own doctor, referred me to Endocrineology who diagnosed me with diabetes (which I had probably had for years, again ignored by my GP, this delay could well be the cause of my heart disease, my diabetes is nicely under control with medication now, something I should have been having a long time ago, while the damage was being done!) and also to Rheumatology who diagnosed my fibromyalgia. I have a lot to thank Dr Bonce-Noggin for, I told her that today as she said this was our last appointment. I felt so sad to say goodbye, she is one of those rare docs, one that really listens to you... And CARES about what you say. She told me she will be in touch with my other 'Ologists' to see how I get on, especially my Cardiologist, she hugged me and I left...
Thank you Dr B.... Thank you x
Oh, by the way... Mum has got her old car back! And is £125 lighter (eeek!) now, but the silly old moo has decided she really liked the loan car! "It was easier to reverse" she said... FOR ***** SAKE!!!!
So, will I get my 'crash' tomorrow? Nope! But this is totally my fault... Now I love cricket with a passion! Always have. When I was a kid it was always on the telly (Mum loves it too) I paid attention and it stuck. Cricket is the ONLY reason I have Sky, I wouldn't bother otherwise. I will watch every single ball of a 5 day test match and then watch the highlights afterwards! Obsessed!
I never get to see much live stuff these days, it is expensive and sitting for that length of time, well, it hurts a lot. But I was 40 two weeks ago and my dear (foul mouthed) Mother bought us tickets, as a present for the England v West Indies one day game at Headingley last week. Now, this would be the third time we had tried to see these two particular teams play... The first time was in beautiful Barbados in 2009. A once in a lifetime trip after an insurance payout. A dream come true. I met Freddie Flintoff and Steve Harmison on the beach the day before the game. On the day of the game... It rained! The only day we were there that it rained was the day of the game! But, the sun did peep through in the afternoon and a few overs were bowled. We were disappointed but what the hell, we were in the Caribbean!!
Later the same year the West Indies came to England. Great we thought, lets go to Headingley... It rained! The drainage in the outfield wasn't working, waterlogged pitch, match abandoned! But I did meet Matt Hoggard and he signed his book for me. I met Mike Atherton and David Gower and got rather tiddley at the Cockspur Rum van on 'Pum Runch' as it came to be known, and while queuing for a hot dog nearly got knocked over by a hurried Geoffrey Boycott and yelled at the top of my voice "Oi, Boycott! SLOW DOWN!" He turned and smiled at me while the rest of the que were rolling on the floor laughing! I don't usually yell at cricket legends, I blame the Pum Runch!!
So there we were last Friday, all hopeful, thinking 'third time lucky'. Choosing to ignore the bad weather forecasts, they're never right are they? We had booked the best seats in the ground, right behind the bowlers arm, up on the balcony. This was it. Chris Gayle, the best Windies player was back in the team and hitting sixes out of the park in the last match... So exciting. The journey there was like going through a monsoon! I kept saying things like "It's a shower, it'll pass" You couldn't see! This was driving rain and flash flooding! Slowly beginning to accept reality, I thought 'Oh god, this isn't going to happen is it?' We got parked in a great spot near the ground, of course we did, no one else was stupid enough to go! We went to our seats and sat there a bit, watching the now very impressive rain flooding the pitch and thought oh sod it, lets go and get something to eat, and maybe a little drinkie poos.... RUM!
There was a great atmosphere at the back of the West Stand, all the food vans (No Cockspur Rum van though... Gutted!) and there was a steel band playing, which my Mum loves, then something awesome happened, the icing on the cake of my life... There was Jimmy Anderson, the best bowler in the world, I had my photo taken with him! I was so happy. Then one minute later, the cherry on the icing on the cake of my life... There was the England One Day Captain, Alastiar Cook, again a photo and a chat... I was in heaven! By the time I got my sea legs back, it came over the loud speaker 'match abandoned', so off we went home, fairly sure we would never get the chance to see these two teams play, ever. Could be years before the West Indies tour here again, my health may be way too bad to do it by then... So very sad! But, England may well tour the West Indies next year, so if anyone wants to ease my sadness by seeing me right with a two week, 4 star, all-inclusive trip to Barbados??? Nah... Just kidding! A girl can dream though...
So tomorrow, I have tickets for a Yorkshire v Lancashire T20. A War Of The Roses Match! The weather forecast is...... I'M DOOMED!!!!!!!
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